Certification is required for two very important reasons: safety and safety. UVRF policies reflect our club's concern for the safety of our members and of those who row with them or near them. We also need to keep our equipment safe and in good condition; we collectively own expensive gear that club members have worked hard to fundraise and pay for.

PLEASE NOTE: These policies do not apply to rowers and their boatings in UVRF coached programs (sweep or scull). In UVRF coached programs, decisions about rowers and appropriate boatings for both home practices and races (home and away) are at the discretion of the program coach.

All rowers are required to be familiar with UVRF policies, particularly with respect to the Safety Guidelines, and it is strongly recommended that rowers of any unsupervised boats, particularly those in the bow seat, wear “high visibility” clothing.

This policy applies to UVRF sweep boats regardless from where they launch.

When launching from Dartmouth, all sweep boats must launch from the Dartmouth Dock and only between 0530-0900 daily. The only exception is the four without coxswain which can launch from either the Dartmouth dock (0530-0900) or from the UVRF sculling dock dawn to dusk. When Dartmouth is launching or landing at their docks, they have the right of way.

When launching from the Kendal site, sweep boats may launch from dawn to dusk.

On program or race days, sweep boats are only available after 7:30 am or by specific permission of the UVRF Fleet Manager () or the UVRF coaching staff. Programs have priority during program times and also on race days.

Approved use of the UVRF racing “sweep” equipment for unsupervised rows on our home stretch of river and on away race courses follows a progression of certifications.

A “supervised row” means under the supervision of a UVRF certified coach, a Dartmouth coach or a guest coach. (See UVRF Coach Requirements for qualifications necessary to be a guest coach.) All other rows are characterized as “unsupervised rows”.

This policy is specific to unsupervised rows.

All rowers must have either paid the Club Equipment Use Fee for the year, or registered and paid for any UVRF Sweep Program, Junior Sculling, Learn-to-Scull Program, 8 or more Coached Sculling Sessions, or paid for a rack space.

All coxswains must be offered the regular practice stipend, which they in their sole discretion can decline.

The Board will maintain a list of certified rowers here and review the list regularly.

In a four with cox (4+) and in eights (8+), both the coxswain and one of the bow pair (4+) or stern pair (8+) rowers must be certified. (We have no stern coxed 4+s.)

In a four without cox (4-), the bow-seat rower requires a UVRF quad (4x) “toe” qualification as well as experience in sweep boats.

Boats must be reserved in advance (see Reservation process below).

Cox boxes are required for bow coxed fours and eights; they may be arranged for pick up with the UVRF coaches. Cox boxes must be returned with a full charge no later than 30 minutes prior to the next program practice.

It is strongly recommended that bow seats of any unsupervised boats wear “high visibility” clothing.

Whenever possible, lineups should adhere to the designed weight of the boat. For example, eight rowers with an average weight of 120 pounds should not take out Defiant (designed for average weight of 175-205). Another example, four rowers with an average weight of 200 lbs should not take out Prouty Pride (designed for an average weight of 135-160). Design weights for the sweep boats are as follows:

Defiant 8+

175-205 average rower weight

EL

Resilient 8+

175-205 average rower weight

EL

Voyager 8+

125-155 average rower weight

ES

Dawn Treader 8+

125-155 average rower weight

ES

Fight 8+

155-185 average rower weight

DM

Grace 8+

155-185 average rower weight

DM

Chuck Nagle/ The Boss 4+

160-185 average rower weight

EM

Persistence 4+

135-160 average rower weight

VHP39

Prouty Pride 4+

135-160 average rower weight

ES

Dear Mrs. Byrne 4+

160-185 average rower weight

EM

Jasmine Rogers 4+

135-160 average rower weight

ES

Friends of Lebanon Crew 4+

160-185 average rower weight

EM

Thing Two 4+

130-165 average rower weight

DS

Thing 1.2 4+

185-220 average rower weight

DL

Geisel 4x/4-

130-170 average rower weight

MidW

II. Eights and Fours with Coxswain - Rower and Coxswain Certification

In order for an ‘eight’ to row unsupervised “at home,” both the coxswain and one rower of the stern pair must be certified. In a bow-coxed fours, the coxswain and one rower of the bow pair must be certified.

Cox at Home Certification: To be home certified, a coxswain must

Be 16 years old or older

Have coxed for at least 200 miles under the supervision of a UVRF certified coach

Approval by two UVRF coaches

Sweep Rower at Home Certification: To be a home certified rower for an unsupervised eight or four with cox, a stern or bow pair rower must

Be 21 years old or older

Have 300 miles of sweep boat rowing experience

Approval by two UVRF coaches

Have demonstrated understanding of river rules

Have passed the sculling captain's test. (The whole point is to not run into something. The sweep rower should demonstrate an appreciation of how hard a sculler (i.e. a blind boat) has to work to keep a scull off the trees and yet in the correct lane.)

Away Races (Rower and Coxswain Certification): In order for an eight or four to row unsupervised for an “away race,” both the coxswain and the designated rower must be certified, and must demonstrate safe boating skills in race-like situations at home to the satisfaction of two UVRF coaches.

In the above cases (and in extremely limited circumstances), prior experience will be considered in lieu of part or all of the requirements but must be accompanied by the approval of the President of the UVRF Board of Directors.

III. Fours without coxswains (4-)

Four without at Home: To be a certified “toe” in a four without a coxswain “at home,” a rower must first be a certified “toe” in a quad (4x), and have approval by two UVRF coaches.

Four without Away: To be certified “toe” in a four without a coxswain for an “away race,” a rower must first be “home” certified in a four without coxswain, and must demonstrate safe boating skills in race-like situations at home to the satisfaction of two UVRF coaches.

In the above cases (and in extremely limited circumstances), prior experience will be considered in lieu of part or all of the requirements but must be accompanied by the approval of the President of the UVRF Board of Directors.

IV. Other requirements for sweep boats:

Restrictions on weather conditions:All UVRF sculling safety guidelines apply to the sweep boats, with the following exceptions: (1) regardless of the qualifications of the rowers, no sweep boat may be rowed in low visibility situations without an accompanying safety launch. Low visibility situations include fog where the Vermont shore is not clearly visible from the Dartmouth sculling dock (or the Kendal dock, if launching from there), and before sunrise, or after sunset, as defined in the UVRF sculling safety guidelines on the UVRF website; (2) if accompanied by a launch carrying proper safety equipment (life jackets, ladder), coxswains and rowers in sweep boats are exempt from the life jacket requirement under cold water rules.

Reservation Process: All UVRF sweep boats are reserved for program use during scheduled practices and races. Submit reservation requests to the UVRF Fleet Manager. Requests should include the name of the certified “toe” in the case of fours without coxswain – and should include the name of the cox and certified rower in case of eights and fours with coxswains. Email requests to .

Log Book Process:The names of the certified rower and the cox (in the case of eights and fours with coxswain) or the certified “toe” (in the case of a four without coxswain) should be entered in the name column. Each rower and their seat number should be recorded in the comment column of the log sheet.

V. Sweep Race Reservation PolicyUVRF members, outside of the UVRF competitive program, who wish to race a four or an eight at a regatta must:

have a certified rower and cox (in the case of eights and fours with coxswain) or a certified “toe” (in the case of a four without coxswain),

submit their request using the racing boat reservation calendar,

assume liability for the insurance deductible if the boat is not traveling on a UVRF trailer,

pay the trailer fee if the boat is being transported on the UVRF trailer

Rowers who intend to race outside of the UVRF competitive program must make their request at the earliest possible time to the UVRF head coach in order to avoid scheduling more than one crew to race a boat at one time. Lineups with more UVRF members have priority over those with fewer. If reservations of equal priority have conflicting race times or venues then rowers should try to work out a solution amongst themselves. If they cannot resolve the conflict they may appeal to the UVRF President to arbitrate a solution in consultation with the Sculling Steward.